Cotton picker



C. J. URBAN COTTON PICKER March 30, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 25, 1950 IN1/EN TOR. //Afu/f 4/ QEAW C. J. URBAN COTTON PICKER March 30, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1950 INVENTOR. CEM/n /f L/ URBA/v March 30, 1954 K C, J, URBAN v 2,673,436

COTTON PICKER Filed Aug. 25, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l INVENTOR. g5 @sw/u /f Umea/v R1 BY Patented Mar. 30, A1954 UNITED STA'EES OFFICE` oo'r'roN riesen Charlie J. Urban, Weinert, Tex. Application August 25, 1950, sei-iai No. 181,403

3 claims. (ores- 42) This invention relates to an improved motorized, multiple-row, suction cotton picker, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a more efcient device of this kind having a higher operating capacity accompanied by less damage to the cotton picked, whereby the consumption of time and the expense of cotton picking can be reduced.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a wheeled cotton picker of the character indicated above which moves along the plant rows and picks the cotton from the plants by suction, blows the picked cotton into a condenser hopper, withdraws the cotton therefrom by gravity and by suction into contact with successive beater cylinders, withdraws the beaten cotton from the region of the final beater cylinder by suction, and blows the withdrawn cotton into a collection hopper carried by the picker from which the cotton can be discharged or dumped into trucks accompanying the picker as it moves along,

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specic embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a right-hand side elevation, portions of the device being omitted and other portions being broken away to show internal mechanism;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a front elevation, with portions broken away and shown in section; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View, on an enlarged scale, of the blower shaft support spider.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illusn trated device comprises a generally rectangular, open, horizontal frame involving longitudinal side members ii, a transverse rear member and a transverse front member S. Rear vertical members or uprights d rise from the side members near the ends of the rear member l, and front Vertical members or uprights iii and il rise from the side members E near the forward end of the frame 5. As shown in Figure 3, the front vertical members i are the same height as, and longitudinally aligned with, the rear vertical mem-- bers4 9, while the front vertical members ii are substantially shorter than, and positioned at the-- laterally inward sides of the front vertical members lil. A horizontal cross member l2, located above the shorter frontl vertical members li and below the upper ends of the taller front vertical members l il, is connected to and'ext'ends between the members iii. Below the level of the cross member i2,= but above the level of the shorter vertical members il, longitudinal members i3 extend between and are connected to the front and rear vertical members lil and' 9 at the opposite sides of the frame 5,. A rectangular, transversely elongated collecting and discharging hopper le having anv imperforate plane bottom l5 is supported on the upper ends of the rear and front vertical members il and le. At the left-hand side of the device the hopper bottom l5 has pairs of spaced lugs i6 de pending therefrom and engaging the frontrand rear sides of the vertical members 9 and iii, with pivot pins i l traversing the lugs E5 and the upper ends of the vertical members, whereby the hopper ld is supported for tilting toward the left-hand side of the device for discharging cotton accumulated therein intor trucks positioned at the lefthand side of the device. The hopper bottom l5 has similar spaced pairs of lugs i5 to similarly engage the upper ends of thevertical members il and l@ at the right-hand sides of the device, but the pivot pins I8 traversing those pairs of llugs it and the associated vertical members ll and 'lil are made removableto permit the necessary up ward movement of the hopper lll involved in tilting the hopper is. Two hydraulic jacks la and 2i) are pivoted at opposite ends, as indicated at 2lk and 22, respectively, to the right-hand end of' the hopper bottom l5, and to the longitudinal member t3 extending between the vertical members il and lil at the right-hand side of the framev 5, the jacks being adapted to be extended and contracted to elect the tilting and righting of the hopper ld by suitable means (not shown).

Forwardly of the front vertical members I 9 the frame side members 6 are deepened to provide depending ilanges 23. Behind the flanges 23 are depending lugs Y2d having stub shafts 25 on which relatively large pneumatic tired wheels 2S are mounted outwardly of and onopposite sides of the frame 5. Theframe 5, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, has an inter? mediate transverse member 2l extending between and connected to the side members t forwardly from the rear transverse member 1. The rear transverse member 'i has 'a central discontinuous portion, and rearwardly converging members 2,8. are connected at their forward ends to the side members 6 and to the-ends of the intermediate'v 3 transverse member 21, to the rear transverse member 1, and the rear ends of the converging members 28 are connected together and vertically apertured to provide a journal 28 for the spindle 29 of the paired dirigible, ground-engaging wheels 30. The wheels 3l) are mounted in a fork 3l from which the spindle 29 rises, and a worm and worm wheel connection 29' is made between the spindle 29 and the rear end of a longitudinal, horizontal ,rotary shaft 32 which is positioned beneath the frame and has a bevel pinion 33 on its forward end in mesh with a bevel pinion 34 on the lower end of a vertical rotary shaft 35. The lower part of the vertical shaft 35 is mounted in a bearing 36 on the front transverse member 8 of the frame 5, While the upper part of the shaft 35 is mounted .in a bearing 31 on the front of the drivers or operators platform 38 which is supported on the frame 5 forwardly of the hopper {'4 by forwardly inclined braces `39 secured to the cross member l2 which extends between the front vertical members l0.

On the platform 38, which is on a level with the lower part of the hopper i4 is a seat 40 in front of which is a vgeardshift lever 4l, clutch and brake pedals 4-2 and 43, respectively, and a steering column mounting a longitudinal, horizontal shaft 44 having a steering wheel 45 on its rear end and a bevel pinion 46 on its forward end in mesh with the bevel pinion 41 on the up per .end of the shaft 35.v Rotation of the steering wheel 45 acts to turn the dirig-ble wheels 30, whereby the device can be steered by the driver or operator to accurately follow the adjacent rows of cotton plants A(not shown). Suitable draft means (not shown) are provided on the front transverse frame member 8 for connection to a tractor (not shown) for pulling the device over the ground in a picking operation.

On the left-hand side of the frame 5, a platform is xed to project laterally outwardly from the left-hand front vertical member l0 to support a powerful motor 5l, such as an internal combustion engine, having a laterally inwardly projecting crankshaft extension 52. A diagonal brace 53 extends between an upper part of the front vertical member w and. the motor platform 50.

Extending through theV front vertical mem-- bers l0 and journaled in the upper ends of the shorter front vertical members H isthe drive shaft 54 which is aligned with the vengine crankshaft extension 52, the adjacent end of. the drive shaft 54 being journaled 1in, and extendingA through, a bracket rising from the engine platform 5U. A vclutch 56 is interposed between the engine crankshaft extension 52 and the adj acent end of the drive shaft 54, having operating mechanism including a part 51 mounted on the platform 50 and an` operating lever 58 which is connected in a suitable manner (not shown) to the clutch. pedal. 42 onthe drivers platform 138. The brake pedal 43 is connected in suitable manner (not shown) to a suitable brake (not shown) associated with the drive shaft 54. These provisions enable the driver to start, run and stopthe cotton picking and .handling mechanism, hereinafter described, as may be necessary or desirable, while the eng-ine or motor 5l iscperating. If desired, a suitable combined change-speed transmission. and reduction gearing notshownlmay be interposed in connection with the: drive shaft k54 with the eng-ine 5l, to be operated by the gear-shift lever 4t on the drivers platform 50. The pedal 43 is provided for operating the hydraulic jacks.

The cotton picking and handling mechanism driven from the drive shaft 54 comprises the two suction hoods 5G which are laterally spaced apart at the distance of two adjacent rows of cotton plants and project forwardly from the front transverse frame member 8 and are on a level below the depending flanges 23. Each suction hood 5i! comprises a pair of similar vertical longitudinal side walls 6l which are'laterally spaced apart at a distance to clear opposite sides of the cotton plants in a row. 'I'he side walls Si have straight lower edges 52 arranged to run close to and substantially parallel with the yground 53 traversed by the device. Each hood 5,5 is connected to the frame 5 for tilting up and down'movement about a horizontal axis to thereby raise and lower the hood with respect to a ground surface. Specifically, rearwardly and upwardly extending, tapered ears 54 on the rear portion of the side walls 6| are journaled on horizontal, transverse pivots 65 on the dependingV flanges 23, whereby the hoods can be tilted to raise or lower them with respect to the ground 53 to meet existing ground conditions. The side walls 5lV are of sufficient height to reach above the tops of the cotton plants which pass between the side walls as the picker isl moved forwardly over the ground 63. The side walls are provided with relatively large ports 55 located near rearward ends of and intermediate the lower edges B2 and the upper edges 61 of the side walls. The upper edges 6l are generally parallel to the lower edges 62 and have guide flanges 68 extending along the facing sides of the side walls having spaced parallel facing guide edges 59 forming a slot 59 through which the cotton plants are forced to pass rearwardly in compacted condition. The plants are guided into the slot 59 by rearwardly and inwardly curved, forward end edges 'l0 on the guide flanges 58. Means for raising and lowering the suction hoods 65 comprise hydraulic jacks 'H located beneath the flanges 23 and connected at opposite ends to brackets l2 depending from the flanges 23 and lugs 173 projecting rearwardly from the hood ears 64. Suitable means (not shown) for operating the jacks l! is provided.

Positioned in front of the frontV vertical frame members ld and mounted thereon by means of brackets l0 in vertically spaced relation to the frame 5 are twoouter rotary blower casings 14 having horizontally extending rotor shafts 15 having pulleys 15 on their exposed, laterally inward ends, which are connected by belts 'il to pulleys 'i8 on the drive shaft 54. Within the casings 'E4 the rotor shafts 'l5 carry radial bladed rotors 19. From central portions of sides of the rotor casings 'i4 flexible suction pipes 8l) lead downwardly and forwardly and connect with the ports 65 in the laterally outward side Walls 6| of the two suction hoods 50.

The ports 36 in the laterally inward side walls 5| of the two suction hoods 30 have connected thereto the lower ends of iiexible pipes 8| which lead upwardly and rearwardly and are connected to central ports 82 in sides of two lower or inner, laterally spaced blower casings 83 which are supported by brackets 83 on the frame 5 on a lower level than the blower casings I4 and are spaced between and in vertical alignment withr the upper or outer blower casings 14. Their centralized rotor shafts 84 have one end rotatably supported on spiders 85 secured to the blower casing side 86 around the ports 82, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the other ends of the shafts till being journaled through the opposite blower casing sides 31. The exposed ends of the shafts 8s have pulleys 33 which are connected by belts 89 to pulley 9S on the drive shaft. The upper parts of the blower casings I4 and 83 have tangential outlet pipes si and 92, respectively, extending rearwardly theren from.

The rearward ends of outlet pipes 9| and 92, which are in transversely spaced relation corresponding to the relative positions of the blower casings and in horizontal alignment, open through the upper part of the vertical front wall 93 of the condenser or receiving hopper S45, which is centrally supported `on the frame 5 between the rear and front vertical members 9 and I0. The hopper 94, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, is of transversely elongated, rectangular, horizontal cross-section and has a closed top 95. The rear wall e6 of the hopper 9&2- declines for- Wardly, as shown in Figure 1, to the point 97. On a corresponding level the front wall 93 has a rearwardly declining portion 98 which terminates at the point 99. The side walls of the hopper 94 in conjunction with the declining wall portions 96 and 38 form a throat 99 opening into the forward end of the closed beater casing Iiw.

The beater casing It@ is supported on and extends rearwardly along the frame 5 behind the receiving hopper Sil, and besides side walls has a bottom wall IBI coextensive with the lower end of the receiving hopper wall portion 93. The bottom wall II is perforated to discharge onto the ground 63 debris separated from the cotton as it is beaten in the beater casing Hit, and has an upwardly curved intermediate portion m2. The beater casing ISI! includes a horizontal top wall its which leads rearwardly from the lower end of the rear wall 96 of the receiving hopper 9d. A semicylindrical casing portion IM in the rear end of the beater casing I@ has joined thereto at top and bottom the rear ends of the top and bottom walls |03 and lili, respectively. First and second conventional raddle-equipped beater A.

cylinders and |05, respectively, are positioned in the beater casing |00 in front of and behind the intermediate bottom wall portion |62, the beater cylinders having shafts it? and liti), respectively, journaled in the sides of the beater casing and having exposed ends equipped with pulleys |09 and HQ, respectively, which are connectecl by a belt I I I. The pulley 09 is connected by a belt I I2 to a pulley I3 on the drive shaft 5s. Leading rearwardly from the semicylindrical beater casing portion |54 is a diametrical suction pipe I I5 which is connected centrally to one side of a blower casing I I5 supported by brackets I l5 to a cross member I i3 extending between the uprights 9 above the rear of the frame 5 and behind the collector hopper I 4, and driven by a belt over the shaft pulley |2| and over the pulley |22 on drive shaft 5t. The blower casing l I6 has a tangential outlet pipe I II rising therefrom and terminating in a downturned, rotatable gooseneck I I3 discharging into the hopper I4.

Mounted on the right rear corner of the chassis frame 5 is the motor or engine 23 which drives the device forwardly over the ground $3. The engine I 23 has on the forward end thereof a clutch assembly |24 controlled by a laterally inwardly extending lever |25 connected at its laterally inward end to the rear end of a longitudinal rod |26 by a rocker arm I2?. The rod |26 ex tends forwardly and is connected at its forward end to the clutch pedal |28 on the platform 38 and located between the brake pedal 43 and the jack pedal 43'.

A universal joint lZQ connects the shaft of the clutch assembly i213 with a differential |30 having a shaft Isl extending across the frame 5 and mounted in journal brackets E32 on a plate |33 extending across the frame and secured to the rear of the front uprights lil. The shaft I3| has sprockets i3d on its opposite ends over which are trained sprocket chains I 35 which are trained also over sprocket wheels |36 on the wheels 26. Suitable controls (not shown) for the operation of the engine It are included therein. y

In operation, the device is moved down forwardly along the ground 63 by the engine |23, with the engine 5I running and the clutch 56 engaged, the various blowers and beater cylinders thereby being in operation, the suction applied in the suction hoods to removes the 'cot--v ton from the plants passing through the hoods. The cotton then passes through the blower cas-A' ings It and t3 and is discharged into the receiving or condenser hopper et, wherein the cotton becomes more densely packed together and subsides by its own weight and by the suction exerted through the beater casing tilt into con-v tact with the first beater cylinder |05 which rotates counterclockwise. The cotton is thereby beaten and passed rearwardly into engagement with the second or nnal beater cylinder |06, which also rotates counterclockwise, whereby the beaten cotton is passed into the rearward end of the beater casing |00. In this transit, stalks and other debris entrained in the cotton is beaten out and falls to the ground 63 through the perforated bottom IilI of the beater casing IBO.

The beaten cotton is sucked from the rearward end of the beater casing |60, passes through the blower casing IIE, and is blown upwardly through the outer pipe I l? and discharged from the gooseneck |I8 into the hopper I4. The contents of the hopper it are discharged therefrom by extending the jacks I9 and 23 so as to tilt the hopper I4 to load an accompanying truck (not shown) positioned at the left-hand side of the device.

I claim:

1. In a cotton picker, a mobile frame, a pair 'of upstanding hoods arranged in parallel spaced relation positioned longitudinally of and below said frame adjacent the forward end of the latter and each connected to said frame for tilting up and down movement about a horizontal axis to thereby raise and lower the hoods with respect to a ground surface, each of said hoods having spaced side walls, there being a port in each of the side walls of each hood, a vertically disposed suction blower positioned above and adjacent each of the side walls of each hood and sup-ported on said frame, a pipe connecting the port of each side wall of each hood to the ad.- jacent blower, a receiving hopper xedly supported on said frame contiguous to and connected in communication with all of said blowers, and means operatively connected to each of said hoods for effecting the tiltingmovement of the latter.

2. In a cotton picker, a mobile frame, a pair of upstanding hoods arranged in parallel spaced relation positioned longitudinally of and below said frame adjacent the forward end of the latter and each connected to said frame for tilting up and down movement about a horizontal axis to thereby raise and lower the hoods with respeci;y to. ai ground surface, each or said hoods having spaced side walls, a pairorI horizontally disposed guide anges extending longitudinally along the, upper ends. of the sidewalls of each hood, the guidel flanges being spaced from each other to form. a, slot for receivingl and forcing the cotton plants to passi rearwardly in compacted condition, there being a port in each of thev side walls of each hood, a vertically disposed suction blower: positioned above and adjacent each of the.l side wallsof each hood and supported on said frame,` a. pipe connecting the port ofv each side wall in each hood to the adjacent blower, a receiving hopper xedly supported on said frame contiguous to and connected in communication with all of said blowers, andA means operatively connected to.- each of said hoods for effectingv the tilting movement of the latter.

3. In av cottonl picker, a mobile. frame, a pair of upstanding hoods. arranged in parallel spaced relation positioned longitudinally of and below said frame adjacent thev forward end of the lat.-y ter and each connected to said frame for tilting up. and down movement about a horizontal axis to thereby raise and lower the hoods with respect to a ground surface, each, of said hoods having spaced side walls, the lower end edges of the side Walls of each hood being straight, a pair of horizontally disposed guide flanges extending lon-4 gitudinally along the upperv ends of the side walls of; each hood, the guide flanges being spaced from each other to. form a slot, for receiving and forcingy the cotton plants. to pass rearwardly in compacted condition, there, being; a. port in. each of the. sidewalls of each hood, a vertically disposed suction blow-er positioned above and adjacent each of the side walls. of each hood and supported on said frame, the suction blowers adjacent the side Walls of each hood being ofl un equal size, aI pipe connecting the port of each side wall of each hood to. the. adjacent blower, a receiving hopper xedly supported on said frame contiguous to, and connected in communication with all of said blowers, and means operatively connected to each of said hoods for electing the tilting movement of thev latter.

CHARLIE J. URBAN.

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580,333. Crowell Apr. 6, 1897 830,102 Richmond Sept. 4, 1906 946,454v Mays Jan. 11, 1910 949,260 Childs Feb. 15, 1910 1,095,572 Heffley May 5, 1914 1,149,253: Dickerson Aug. 10, 1915 1,219,204',v Ward Mar. 13, 1917 1,314,437 Silverthorne Aug. 26, 1919 1,332,425 Cassel Mar. 2, 1920 1,400,522 Connon Dec. 20, 1921 1,502,216 Threadgill July 22, 1924 1,515,826 Bohn Nov. 18, 1924 2,241,423 Rust May 13, 1941 2,518,465 Hagen et al. Aug. 15, 1950 

